Phoning home
by moonswirl
Summary: Part one of my 'No Destiny' series (proloque is posted, 'New Trust')
1. The attempt

Phoning home  
  
Part one of my No Destiny series  
  
The four aliens stood as two pairs, Max and Tess, Michael and Isabel, each pair holding an orb. Liz stood to the side. The five of them were in the pod chamber, all completely silent. The aliens concentrated on the orbs in their hands. None were sure what they were supposed to concentrate on, or what they expected to happen.  
  
An overwhelming amount of thoughts went through each of their minds. This moment, this instant, could very well be the point that would set in motion the rest of their lives. Would the scenario be what they wanted? What if it wasn't? What if it meant giving up everything they'd achieved in the past few months? They still had so much to do, if this was what they thought it was, then they'd be right back at square one.  
  
But on the other hand, they could learn about their families... their real parents... They didn't know if they'd been on the ship... if they weren't, then how could they send their children to a new planet without them? There had to be a reason. Maybe it was the only way... to make that sacrifice. What was it? A war... plague... why them?  
  
If there had been others, they probably would have known... unless they were all dead... were they the only ones who'd made it? Max, Michael, Isabel, Tess... and Nasedo?  
  
So many questions... so much apprehension... it would all come down to the next few seconds. The four aliens stood almost perfectly still, giving as much energy as they could. Soon, however, their energy level began to fade away and they were overcome by dizziness.  
  
Sensing this was going nowhere, they stopped. Drained of strength, the four aliens staggered and dropped to their knees, the orbs falling to the ground. Liz immediately rushed to their side.  
  
"What happened? Are you okay?" None could speak, too weak to do anything more than what they were. Liz had been able to feel the energy flowing... but nothing happened...  
  
The aliens remained in the same position for a few minutes. Finally, one by one, they stood. They were still slightly dizzy and out of breath, which made their speech a bit hard to understand.  
  
"Max, what happened?" asked Liz. He bent down to pick up the orb he and Tess had been holding. He looked at it for a few seconds, then turned to Liz.  
  
"Nothing... happened..."  
  
"That's impossible... I felt it, something was going on, here... and I mean, if nothing happened, then why are you all weak right now?"  
  
"Alright... SOMETHING happened... just not... what we thought..." said Michael.  
  
"The message... these are communicators..." said Liz, catching on.  
  
"Yeah... but no one's answering," said Tess.  
  
"So what does it mean?" asked Isabel.  
  
"I don't know," said Max. All were silent, the result of their attempt leaving them confused... and perhaps slightly disappointed. What did this mean? If they were communicators, shouldn't they be able to... communicate with someone? With their home? They'd hoped... to perhaps find out where they were from, why they were on earth... what happened to their parents...  
  
But they still knew nothing about any of it... Maybe Nasedo left out of the procedure. But why? Was there something he didn't want them to know? Or was it like he'd said...  
  
"Set off those orbs, and you have no idea who you may be leading straight to us..." he'd said. Maybe he was right, and they were better off not knowing... but still... It didn't really matter anymore. They were too tired.  
  
Michael picked up the second orb, taking the other from Max and hiding both in a crack in the rock. He turned back to the small group.  
  
"Let's get out of here." The others nodded and Michael was the first to exit, followed by the girls. Max was last, sealing the entrance once more. He joined the others and they began the walk down the rock formation. They walked slowly, their thoughts taking them elsewhere.  
  
This was simultaneously the best and worst moment of the last few weeks. On one side, they had the possibility of being reunited with the ones THEY wanted to be with, not ones picked for them already. But on the other, they had the ignorance of their origins.  
  
Liz didn't know how to feel. She wanted Max and the others to be able to know about their past... no matter what happened... if she lost him or he came back to her... she wanted him to know. He deserved to know. She really hoped he would come back to her... She'd never felt anything with other guys, not like what she'd felt when she was with Max. It was just so magical, hard to explain. There were no words for it. Or if there were, she didn't know what they were. She was too scared, to find would do, so she didn't talk about it... or anything... She just kept on walking...  
  
Tess could hardly believe it. Nothing had happened. No kind of message. If she wasn't so weak at the moment, she'd have a huge smile on her face. She could almost feel her freedom from destiny... Already, her mind was plotting on how to make not only herself happy, but the others as well... It might be hard, but she'd succeed. All she needed was a way in. To know what needed to be said and how. What could she do to make them go for it? She knew they all wanted it, but they were too scared that it wouldn't work... They all knew that they had some kind of obligation to these people... But if they couldn't contact them, why should they?  
  
For Michael, it was all about one thing. Maria. Well, two things... Maria, and her safety. With the whole destiny thing, he had a way to free her from the hurt and heartache she might feel if she stayed with him. Problem was... he DIDN'T want to lose her. No matter how hard he tried to fight it, he couldn't. He loved her, and he knew it. Somehow, he knew she was aware of it. Did she realize why he was pushing her away? He hoped so... he didn't want her to think it was because her didn't care about her... far from that. He just cared too much in a way.  
  
Isabel didn't know what to do. For so long, she'd ignored Alex, perhaps even hurt him. And just a short time ago, she'd discovered a side of him she'd never seen... or just never noticed. He cared about her for her... not her looks or popularity. That had been a first. She'd developed deep feelings for Alex Whitman. And then everything went out the window. She wanted it back so bad. She just didn't know what to do... what to say... to show him how sorry she was for the way she'd treated him in the last few weeks.  
  
Max was still taking it all in. Nothing happened... no message... Almost made him wonder if there WAS someone out there waiting for him to come home... But he had a home... in Roswell. And people who cared about him... his parents, Isabel, Michael, Tess, Maria, Alex... and Liz. What now? What would happen with them now? He knew just because they didn't receive a message, it didn't mean there was no 'destiny'... But there had to be a way to get out of it. He just didn't want to insult Nasedo... or Tess... in the process. He had a destiny, a 'reason' in a way... but all he wanted was to be with Liz Parker.  



	2. Driving back

This day is giving me a headache. So much has happened that I'm not sure what's going on anymore. I know that we're on our way back to Roswell. I'm in the back of the Jeep. Michael is sitting next to me, Tess next to him. Isabel is in front, and Max is driving. We stopped to pick up Tess about ten minutes ago. She drove the truck, behind us. We needed to get it away from the pod chamber. So now we're all squeezed in here again.  
  
No one is talking, but I don't think any of us have a problem with that. We needed to cool off... Everyone has been on edge lately. With Topolsky's return and departure, Pierce's arrival, Max being taken by the FBI, what happened with Kyle this afternoon, and now this... We are basically just tired, exhausted... we need to have time to relax and think about everything... again...  
  
Seems like that's all we're doing these days. It's a wonder our parents haven't picked up on any of it... I suppose it's a good thing, but frankly, right now I would want nothing more than one of my dad's long speeches... He could always find something helpful to say, even if I didn't listen most of the time.  
  
I look to the front, I'm sitting behind Max. Max... I miss him so much... He may be standing near me a lot of the time, but he's not here... not with me. I know it may seem a bit selfish to put my romantic needs before the lives of an entire... species... but I can't help it.  
  
I don't know what to think about her... Tess. I can't really blame her directly for losing Max, even if I may want to. This was what she was raised to do... to believe in... that Max was her destined mate. And I know it probably sounds crazy, but I've been getting this vibe off of her. I can't really explain it, but I have a small feeling that Tess has her own opinions on the whole destiny thing...  
  
*  
  
Alright, let's see... six of them, three couples. Max and Liz, Michael and Maria, Alex and Isabel. All currently not so much together. A lot of that because of me... no! I have to stop thinking like... okay...  
  
Three separated couples, all of them want to be together again, the casual observer could see that with his or her eyes closed. Problem is... they're too scared to take the first step and talk it out... they're just complete chickens, if you ask me... But that's what this is about. Turning the chickens back into lovebirds. Of course in this case, birdseeds will NOT help.  
  
Okay, focus... Max and Liz... I need to get them talking. Liz is my way in. If I get through to her, she'll talk to Max. There's no doubt he would listen to her. I see the way they look at each other, talk to each other, act around each other. All they need is a little push in the right direction.  
  
Same goes for Michael and Maria. Michael is the one who's the problem, the way he grew up. He put up a wall between himself and the world. Maria managed to make an opening. If I can convince him, the wall could come down.  
  
And Alex and Isabel... there's no doubt Alex is ready for her. But she isn't. She's scared of getting him hurt, like Max and Michael, and because of that, she keeps pushing him away. But I know she wants to be with him, I can see it in her eyes.  
  
So now, all I need is a plan, a surefire way to get those six to stop being such babies. Just talk it through and admit to themselves that they care very deeply for each other. It can't be that hard, right? And I think I know just the way...  
  
*  
  
This is the first peaceful moment I've had in weeks... In that time... quietness didn't mean peace, it meant trouble brewing. But not anymore. This is for real. It's hard to believe, yet here we are... on our way back home, to Roswell.  
  
What's going to happen now? We left thinking we would be told that all we'd heard from Nasedo, about destiny... was for real. That Max belonged with Tess and that I... I was destined to be with Michael. But there wasn't. Not one indication of anything. There was no message from home... our real planet... our real families...  
  
But the fact that there was nothing only reinforced my belief that Roswell was and would always be our 'real' home. That my family was my brother, Max, and my parents, Philip and Diane Evans, as it had been, is now, and I hope will always be. I have great friends and I want nothing more than to have them with me forever...  
  
Michael, almost like a brother... Tess, the only other girl in the world like me... Liz, Maria, even Kyle... and most importantly Alex... But I want more than friendship from him... much more. If only I knew how to tell him. He wants this as much as I do, I know he does.  
  
Why does it have to be so hard? Strange... all these years, I've been the popular girl, the one the guys love and the girls hate or envy... So why am I so scared to tell a guy I like him? I know why, deep down... He isn't just any guy... he's special. He's kind, funny, understanding, he's a great listener and musician... and he's so cute... I feel like such a kid right now... but I like it, actually... it's fun...  
  
*  
  
I killed a man... I still can't believe it... Max says that he was going to hurt us if I hadn't done it, but I still killed him. This is sort of scary. I knew I had these powers, but none of us had taken a life with them. Until now...  
  
What am I gonna do? No one knows about it... except for Max, Isabel, Tess, Liz, Alex, Kyle, the Sheriff... Maria... What if it happens again? And she's the one I k... I can't say it or think it for that matter. Because then, I'll have an image in my mind that would give me nightmares for the rest of my life.  
  
I don't want to lose her.. but I don't want to hurt her either... physically or emotionally. Already with the stuff that's been happening lately, I couldn't blame her if one day she said she never wanted to talk to me again... But that would never happen, would it? First thee was the whole 'baby' scare. I told her our relationship was stupid. That was so hard to say... I didn't mean it. She must have felt so betrayed... thinking that I'd been with Isabel...  
  
She's put up with a lot for me, and she never gave up on me. I never had that before... from a human at least. But what about now? What if she's finally had enough? I... I don't want to lose her... I never would have guessed that a girl, human or otherwise, would ever willingly want to be with me, knowing about my background and where I grew up.  
  
She didn't care, she saw through that, and I silently thank her everyday for it. Because now, finally, I'm ready to admit it to myself, without denying it... I love her...  
  
*  
  
What happens now? I just don't know. On one side, we have the book with the drawings and the weird language. On the other, we have what happened back in the pod chamber. We expected a message. A message that would have probably, and sadly, confirmed what Nasedo had said about our 'destinies'.  
  
The pro-destiny, Nasedo, and as far as I know, Tess. The anti-destiny, everybody else. Although... I realize this may sound crazy but... I could swear I keep seeing signs that... Tess doesn't want destiny either. I can't explain it.  
  
So the only person standing in our way, is Nasedo. He'll be gone for a while... maybe we can work everything out before he returns. Get Michael and Maria, Alex and Isabel, and... Liz and I... back together. And then we have to find out which camp Tess is in, pro or anti... include her into the group, make her feel wanted, and willing to assert herself in front of Nasedo. I know we can do it. I can feel her... ready to burst.  
  
Liz... she's sitting right behind me. I'm not even sure where we stand. She knows I don't care about this whole destiny thing... but I'm not sure she believes me... Or at least, she doesn't accept it yet, I don't know. I understand why she would react that way. To protect herself.  
  
It's hard to think that it's come to this. Before... Tess came... there was no doubt in either of our minds that we... Liz and I... were meant to be together. We need to get rid of the doubt. But how? How can I convince her, make her see... that I don't want destiny, and I'm not going through with it... Make her understand that the relationship I'll have with Tess... will be as friends. That when I think about my future... a wife and kids... all I see there... is her.  



	3. Observations

The next day, West Roswell High  
  
Max sat in the empty biology class, waiting. He'd received a note saying to go there at noon. He didn't know who it was from, and he had been unsure whether or not he should go for it. He kept on waiting, until he heard footsteps. He turned to see who was there.  
  
"Tess," he said when he saw her.  
  
"Thank you for coming," she said sitting across from him.  
  
"You?"  
  
"I needed to talk to you... in private." That made him slightly uncomfortable. She saw it and held up a hand. "Whoa, whoa, it's nothing like that... sort of..."  
  
"Then what is this about?" She took a few seconds, then talked.  
  
"I needed to talk to you... about destiny." The room became silent.  
  
"What about it?" asked Max calmly.  
  
"For ten years, Nasedo has been telling me the same thing, that I had a destiny and that I HAVE to follow it... except..." She looked down.  
  
"Except what?" asked Max, "It's not what you want, is it?"  
  
"Don't get me wrong, it's not because of you, you're... very handsome and all," she said, which caused Max to smile. "I just want to be able to choose who I'm going to spend possibly the rest of my life with."  
  
"Trust me, I know how you feel."  
  
"I do. I think it's pretty obvious what you want," she said with a smile, which made him laugh a bit. "Listen, I wanted to talk to you, because I need your help. If you, me, Michael, Isabel,... if we all want what I know we all want, it won't be as easy as it may seem. First we need to be... paired up... the way it... You and Liz, Michael and Maria, Alex and Isabel..."  
  
"What about you?" Max asked, fully comprehending what she was saying.  
  
"Well..." she said, not quite sure of whether or not she should tell him. "I have someone in mind... but that's not important for now. If we can get everyone in couples, the way we want them, we have to get through to Nasedo. THAT will be the hard part. "Having grown up with him, I can tell you, it might be one of the hardest things we'll ever do in our whole lives."  
  
"So what are we gonna do about him?" asked Max.  
  
"I really don't know. I have a feeling we'll pretty much be making it up as we go along. So for now, let's just worry about the pairings. Tell me... about you and Liz, details..." Max thought.  
  
"Well... it started really, I guess... in September, the shooting. When I saw her lying there, my heart was just... beating furiously. I was so scared..."  
  
"But you saved her."  
  
"Yeah, I did. After that day, it took some time before Michael and Isabel accepted that they could trust her, and Maria... I tried to stay away from her, to protect her, but eventually, I... caved in, I guess." Tess smiled. "We hit a few rough patches, and as time went by, things got more and more serious..."  
  
He told her about event after event, first date, first kiss. He told her about what had been happening... Liz's grandmother, the diary, the dome, River Dog, the heat wave, the camping trip, the blind date, the orbs... They must have spoken for over an hour.  
  
"I think I have enough information."  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Max, confused.  
  
"You want to get back together with Liz?"  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Well then I'm gonna help you," she said as she got up and headed for the door.  
  
"How are you gonna do that?" he asked. "She turned back.  
  
"Oh... you'll see..."  
  
*  
  
Over the next few days, Tess observes each and every one of the people involved. She needed to do so, to try to understand what was going on, and how she'd help them. She already had everything planned out. Now she just needed to do it. She just hoped it would work. If it didn't then there would be eight very sad, very unhappy teenagers in Roswell, New Mexico. Including herself. It wasn't all about her, but it still concerned her. So she began her observations in secret...  
  
She began with Max. She made sure she wasn't seen as she watched him watch Liz from a distance. It just seemed so unfair that they were apart in a way because of her. She knew Max didn't blame her, but there was still Liz. She really wanted to make her understand. She wanted to be her friend, not her enemy or... rival.  
  
There wasn't much else to do in this case, but talk to her. She had to show her, she didn't want to stand in the way of her relationship with Max, and that she wouldn't. She just wanted her and everyone to be happy.  
  
She observed Michael and Maria next. The three of them were in class together. Michael and Maria sat just a few desks away from each other, and Tess had a clear view. She could see that Michael was trying to put on an expression like nothing was wrong. And he was failing. She could see the pain he had all over the place. He was hurting really bad, poor guy. Not only did he have to worry about his relationship with Maria, but also with the fact that he'd killed Pierce.  
  
For Maria, however, the pain was completely visible. Her face was drained of emotions, too tired to show any. It had hit her really bad. Tess had heard her crying in the bathroom, although she hadn't told her she was there. Instead, she made sure no one would come in and bother her. The girl was in so much pain, it was the least she could do.  
  
Then there was Alex and Isabel. She looked at them in the library. They were keeping their distances, but she could see t hem taking peeks when the other wasn't looking. They were so sweet.  
  
She looked at Alex. He was more nervous than anything. Poor guy as well... she could tell he was head over heels in love with Isabel, but out of respect for her feelings, he remained away.  
  
Isabel... Tess could see the conflict in her eyes. She doesn't know what to do. She wants to be with him, but she's afraid that he'll get hurt... She just needs a little push in the right direction. Then she'd wake up and go for it. Alex would take her back for sure if she asked for it.  
  
So basically, all Tess had to do, was to get them talking. She would need to, first of all, talk to one in each couple, convince them to go to the other and the rest would be up to them.  
  
Then there was Kyle... she looked at him, sitting on a bench outside the school. He was so confused. The last few days must have been awfully weird for him... being shot, finding out there were actual aliens in Roswell... Her being one of those aliens made her task slightly harder to achieve, but she'd do it... she had to.  
  
She could sense that he might have feelings for her as well, the thought of which made her get butterflies in her stomach... but that wasn't important at the moment... the possible feeling he might have for her had nothing to do with why she was walking to him.  



	4. Step one

There was a ring at the door. Isabel was alone so she went to answer. She was surprised when she saw who it was.  
  
"Tess. Hi. What are you doing here?"  
  
"I need to talk to you about something."  
  
"What is it?" she asked as she let her in.  
  
"Why don't we go sit?"  
  
"Okay." A few seconds later, they sat in the living room.  
  
"Let me cut to the chase. I came to talk to you about destiny... and Alex." Isabel was confused. "Okay, long story short. None of the four of us, myself included, want it. Correct?" Isabel was shocked, but still nodded. "All of you are still crazy about each other in your respective broken couples." Isabel nodded once more. "So what are you waiting for? Go talk to Alex. He misses you terribly, and I know it's the same for you. Don't even try to deny it." Isabel tried to do so, and Tess gave her a look. In seconds, Isabel sat defeated.  
  
"You're sure he'd take me back?"  
  
"In half a heartbeat. I know you're scared that he'll get hurt. You have to stop doing this to yourself. Love is all about taking risks. You love him, don't you?"  
  
"With all my heart," said Isabel, as she felt the beginning of tears coming. Tess smiled kindly and put her hand on Isabel's shoulder.  
  
"Then go for it." She could see now just how much Isabel cared about him, even more than she'd thought. This was hurting her so much, not being with him, even though she wouldn't quite admit it. She felt she'd definitely taken a step in the right direction, there. She would go to him, conquer her fears and worries, Tess could feel it. Isabel looked up at her and smiled. She reached over and brought her into a hug, a nice surprise to Tess...  
  
*  
  
Michael stood in the Crashdown's kitchen, flipping burgers on the grill. He heard the door open and close and assumed it was someone from the staff. But it wasn't.  
  
"Hey." He turned to find Kyle standing behind him.  
  
"No customers in the kitchen," Michael said.  
  
"Well I'm not a customer."  
  
"What do you want, Valenti?"  
  
"I wanted to ask you a question." Michael didn't answer, so Kyle went on. "What's up with you and Maria? You two used to be all over each other, and now..."  
  
"And now we're not," said Michael, as if to indicate to not take it further. Of course, he didn't listen.  
  
"But you're crazy about her!" insisted Kyle.  
  
"This is none of your business," said Michael, although he knew he was right.  
  
"Look, I may not have been 'in the loop' about... you know... but I've been thinking about it all for the past few days. I know why you're doing this, pushing her away. It's because you don't want her to get hurt or anything. But let me tell you something. In case you haven't noticed, she's hurting pretty bad. Looks like your little plan had about the opposite effect. You need to face up to it. You love her. And it scares you, doesn't it? You always have to be the 'tough guy' and not let anybody get close to you. But she did, she got to you. Do yourself a favor, okay? Go see her and talk to her. She's miserable, you can fix it. I'll see you tomorrow at school."  
  
And he left. Michael stood still, Kyle's words taking their toll on his mind. He was right. He was so right. Michael HAD seen her, and he was mentally kicking himself that he'd let this happen to her.  
  
He took off his apron and went to sit on the backroom couch. He put his head in his hands and exhaled. He had to do something. For Maria, and for himself. Both of them wanted to be with each other. And he could not live with himself if he didn't do this.  
  
*  
  
Liz sat on her balcony, thinking. She heard her name being called from street level. "Liz! Liz!" She went to stand by the edge.  
  
"Tess?" she said, so surprised to see her of all people standing there.  
  
"I have to talk to you. Can I come up, please?" Liz hesitated. But there was something about the expression on her face, that told her she should listen. She nodded and Tess climbed up. Liz sat.  
  
"What's up?" Tess sat and immediately began to speak.  
  
"You have to get back together with Max. Liz looked up, definitely not expecting that.  
  
"What?"  
  
"I never wanted to be with him. But until now, I had no way out of it. That's different now. I spoke to Max, explained to him what I wanted and didn't want. He told me so many things about you two and what you've been through this year. There's no way I'll ever stand between that."  
  
Liz was speechless. There was the very person she thought would be the end of her relationship with Max... and she was trying to get them back together. She had definitely seen a different side to her now...  
  
"Why are you helping me? All I've done is treat you like an enemy."  
  
"For all you knew, I was trying to steal your boyfriend, it's understandable. I never wanted to hurt you. I actually wanted to be your friend." Liz looked up.  
  
"Well... this is a definite first step towards it," Liz said with a smile, which Tess returned. The girls continued their conversation for over two hours. It was surprising to both of them that they could talk this long. They discussed many things... their childhood, love lives, school, the events of the last few weeks, they covered it all, one after the other...  
  
*  
  
The next afternoon, Crashdown Café  
  
Tess sat in the booth, playing with the straw in her glass. "Sorry to keep you waiting," she heard from behind. She turned and smiled when she saw Kyle walk across to sit in front of her.  
  
"That's okay."  
  
"So what are you we doing here exactly?"  
  
"I'm not sure. Max... called and said to come here."  
  
"Yeah, same here... well, Isabel called me, said that you'd be here waiting for me."  
  
"Oh," she said, then, "So, you talked to Michael?" Kyle nodded. "And?" she asked, hopefully.  
  
"I think I got through to him, but there's no telling for now. What about Isabel and Liz?"  
  
"I think they'll do it. All we need to worry about now... is the outcome."  
  
Kyle sighed, when the chime on the door was heard. He looked up and smiled. "See for yourself," he said. She turned her head and gave a smile of her own. In walked three couples, Max and Liz, Michael and Maria, Alex and Isabel, each pair hand in hand.  
  
Kyle and Tess got up and went to meet them halfway. "I can't believe it!" said Tess joyfully.  
  
"Believe it... you did this, the two of you," said Liz.  
  
"This is for real, it's working, we're gonna do this, it's gonna work," said Tess, getting excited.  
  
"Whoa, whoa, calm down," said Isabel.  
  
"Why don't we all go sit and talk?" suggested Max. All went, but Kyle took Tess by the arm and took her to the side.  
  
"What is it?" she asked.  
  
"It's just... well, you said that once we did this, you'd tell me whatever I wanted to know... about you and the other..." He signaled with his head.  
  
"Y... yeah, I got it."  
  
"Well?" Her eyes went wide.  
  
"N... now?" she asked, attempting not to talk too loud.  
  
"Oh... no, of course not."  
  
"So when do you... want to do this?"  
  
"Whenever you want," he said.  
  
"Well, in a couple days, probably..."  
  
"Good."  
  
"Now, let's go, I'm starving," said Tess as they joined the others.  
  
End of part 1  



End file.
